When did Russell Brand misplace his marbles?

[prodigitalson]

Never was a huge fan, pretty much indifferent. But after watching a bunch of stuff about the Smiths and Morrissey, including an RB interview with the latter (which was pretty good) the YouTube algorithm has sent me some of his recent postings, which are a bunch of anti-vax Looney Tunes shit.

[Skittles]

1. not sure, but it is very disappointing indeed

he has turned into a righteous asshole

[prodigitalson]

2. Ironically, during the Morrissey (of whom I am a huge fan) interview

RB seemed the saner of the two when M compared eating meat to the Holocaust

[AZSkiffyGeek]

6. Moz is fucking horrible now, but I can't give up the Smiths

They were too much a part of my teenage years. I just remind myself that Johnny Marr is cooler anyhow.
It's really sad, I saw Moz about 15-20 years ago and he was just phenomenal - did all my favorites.
But he's Ted Nugent level repulsive now.

[prodigitalson]

14. I saw Moz about 12 years ago and loved his show but

you are right about Marr. Who would have thunk he would have been the super fit long distance runner guy who still looks good and is way more creative... don't get me wrong he was always my favorite Smith. But If in highschool I had to predict which of the two would be a fat idiotic slob and which wouldn't when I reached middle age I would have been very wrong.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

5. He got off heroin and needed something else to fill the void?

Conspiracy theories and anti-vaxx nonsense took it's place?

[Skittles]

17. I do understand that phenomenon

I know my caffeine habit really took off after I quit smoking

I had admired Mr. Brand for kicking heroin and truly understanding how addiction can make the mind think and believe stuff that isn't true and is quite harmful. So to see him now pushing crap that is also not true and is harmful, it is very disconcerting indeed.

[SunSeeker]

3. There's a reason Katy Perry dropped him like a hot potato. nt

[betsuni]

4. Around 2014. Going on about revolution, doesn't believe in voting, everything's corrupt

and then more and more conspiracy theories and now he's nutty. Not unusual.

[Quixote1818]

7. I had a similar post about 10 days ago

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216466754

[ornotna]

8. How did Russell Brand go from stand-up stardom to peddling YouTube conspiracy theories?

When did Russell Brand decide comedy wasn’t enough for him? For most of his time in the public eye, the Essex-born funnyman has been better known for his off-stage antics than any particulars of his comic craft. There was his short-lived marriage to Katy Perry. His bullying of Andrew Sachs over voicemail on Jonathan Ross’s radio show. His vocal objections to voting in general elections back in 2013. Well over a decade on from all that, his personal website now describes him as an award-winning comedian, actor, author, a “passionate activist for mental health and drug rehabilitation”, and, more grandiosely, a “public thought leader”. See, he can still make you laugh.

It is in this last capacity that Brand operates his self-titled YouTube channel, publishing daily videos to 5.3 million followers and counting. These videos have prompted some to accuse Brand of peddling conspiracy theories – and it’s easy to see why. Hot-button issues such as Covid vaccines and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have countless clips devoted to them. Usually they’re framed with some sort of contrarian take or calling out hypocrisy in the mainstream media. They frequently have alarmist titles, hinting at a vague, world-altering conspiracy. A few recent examples: “WW3 – So THIS Is Why They Want Russia War”; “So They DO Run The World”; “I’ve Been Warned Not To Talk About This”. They often open with Brand addressing viewers as “awakening wonders” – “awakening” being his New Age-inflected buzzword of choice.

With his beard, long hair and loose-fitting, wide-necked shirts, it’s hard to shake the sense that there’s something cultish about Brand’s whole presentation. And yet, despite all the Matrix-like “here’s the real truth”-ing, Brand’s videos are also thoroughly beholden to his puerile sense of humour, with each new revelation incongruously seasoned with a splash of his insufferable schtick.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/russell-brand-youtube-trudeau-b2035980.html

World class nutbag.

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. Morrissey is a far-right racist Brexiteer asshole. Still love the Smiths, though.

Morrissey without Marr is like Lennon without McCartney; the sum of the parts was greater than either separately.

[prodigitalson]

15. Indeed...nt

[Cheezoholic]

10. Who fuckin cares about Russell Brand, seriously n/t

[SoCalDavidS]

12. According To His Twitter Page, 11.1 Million Followers Do nt

[Cheezoholic]

13. According to common sense

They are a bunch of Neambafucks

[iemanja]

11. Ages ago.

[NBachers]

16. Never could stand the guy

[FreepFryer]

18. Bye Felicia (Nt)